My 4 top travel credit cards — and how they elevate my trips

I caught the travel bug early when my parents moved our family from Sydney to Seattle for a year at the age of ten. I remember being fascinated by how far we’d traveled — and how long I’d sat in economy class.

My passion for travel, partly inspired by periods studying and working abroad in Japan, Mexico and Spain, continued to grow — along with the number of hours I’d logged at the back of the plane.

My back — and my wallet — breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered the world of points and miles a decade ago. Since then, travel has become something substantially different: flying first class to visit family across the Pacific and soaking in an infinity pool at a luxury resort overlooking the Omani desert.

That’s largely thanks to credit cards — the source of at least six out of every 10 frequent flyer points and miles earned in the U.S.

Choosing the right travel rewards credit card — or combination of cards — has been key to elevating my travels. These are my four picks for top travel credit cards and why I keep them in my wallet.

Amex Platinum

The Platinum Card® from American Express has been a staple in my wallet for many years. Although it has the highest annual fee of any card on this list at $695 (see rates and fees), you can get more than enough value from it if you maximize its plethora of statement credits.

Unrivaled lounge access

This is the best personal card for lounges because it offers access to the largest number of lounge networks.

My favorite thing during a long layover? A hot shower in a lounge. There’s something ultra luxe about stepping off a red-eye and into a spotless, private space stocked with plush towels and body care products — a ritual that makes me feel just a little bit more human.

Given how frequently I pass through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), I appreciate being able to access the Centurion Lounge. I get access regardless of the airline or class I’m traveling that day (which can be especially helpful when connecting on short hops to or from Austin, my home base).

I also enter Delta Sky Clubs† on a semifrequent basis using this card — but I make sure not to book a basic economy ticket (as they don’t allow access).

†When traveling on same-day Delta flights; Eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight.

Useful hotel perks

The Amex Platinum grants cardmembers complimentary Hilton and Marriott Gold elite status, opening up room upgrades, late checkout and complimentary breakfast (in the case of Hilton). Enrollment is required.

As a matter of fact, I wrote this guide at a Hilton property in Porto, Portugal. I paid only $150 out-of-pocket for my two-night stay, including complimentary breakfast and three other meals at the on-site restaurant.

That’s thanks to the up to $200 hotel statement credit this card provides, as well as a $100 on-property credit I received for booking through The Hotel Collection. (minimum two-night stay).

Frequent transfer bonuses

Amex (and Chase) points are my preferred type of rewards to earn and are among the most valuable of any issuer.

What I especially like about Amex is that they offer the most frequent transfer bonuses and a generous roster of 18 airline and three transfer partners, including two of my favorites: Air Canada Aeroplan and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

I often fly between the East Coast and Madrid in Iberia business class, which costs only 40,500 Avios one-way. With 30% transfer bonuses, this means I need just 32,000 Amex points to book this redemption.

Learn more in our full review of the American Express Platinum.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

While the more affordable Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is more than enough for someone dipping their toes into the world of travel rewards, its bigger (and more expensive sibling) the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) is better suited to globetrotters like me.

Top rewards on travel and dining

This is the card I use to book flights online, pay for public transport when abroad and cover the bill at restaurants both within and outside the U.S. I earn thousands of points a year by earning three points per dollar on travel and dining — categories Chase defines broadly to include things like bars and parking garages.

Then, I usually transfer them to my favorite loyalty partner, World of Hyatt, for high-value hotel redemptions. For example, $12,000 in spending earned me 36,000 Chase points — enough for a 10-night hotel stay in Cabo.

Effortless travel credit

The Sapphire Reserve’s high $550 annual fee is made more palatable by the most flexible travel credit out there.

I receive a statement credit for the first $300 I spend on travel each anniversary year. With the amount of travel I do, between flights, Airbnbs and ride-hailing services, I reach the $300 within the first two months of the year, dropping my effective annual fee to a more manageable $250.

Comfortable lounge access

Chase has an impressive lounge network, opening several Chase Sapphire Lounges over the past couple of years. In fact, we named the one at New York’s LaGuardia Airport the best new lounge in the U.S. last year.

This card also provides me with a Priority Pass lounge membership, which comes in handy when traveling abroad, granting me access to lounges in far-flung places like La Paz, Bolivia and Da Nang, Vietnam.

(A useful tip to know is that anyone with a Priority Pass membership can enter one Chase Lounge once a year — you don’t have to have a Chase card to get in. Keep in mind that this applies to just one visit, once per year, across the whole network.)

Strong travel protections

While the Amex Platinum offers a higher return on booking flights (5 points per dollar spent on the Platinum (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel® vs. 3 points per dollar for travel on the Reserve), I book my flights with my Sapphire Reserve. That’s because it offers more generous protections against missed connections and delayed baggage than almost any other travel rewards card

Learn more in our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Capital One Venture X

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the issuer’s answer to the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve — and it packs a big punch. I got this card when it launched in 2021 and is the premium travel rewards card I most often recommend.

Affordable annual fee

The $395 annual fee is the lowest on this list — and easier to justify, since Capital One essentially gives me $90 each year I keep the card.

You get a $300 annual travel credit (usable only through Capital One’s portal), dropping the effective fee to $95. Plus, you earn 10,000 anniversary miles annually, which Capital One values at $100 — though we peg them at $185 if maximized.

That’s like getting paid to keep the card.

Strong everyday earnings

This is one of the top cards I use for non-bonus spending. It offers unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on everything you buy (except travel booked through the Capital One portal, which offers elevated rates but comes with drawbacks when booking flights).

I’ve also recently discovered the value of transferring Capital One miles to two of its hotel partners.

I booked a room steps from the Carnival parade route in Barranquilla, Colombia — dancing in the streets by day, crashing in a clean, quiet room by night — all thanks to just 7,500 miles transferred to Wyndham Rewards. Not bad for a city where last-minute hotels were going for $300 a night.

And I’ve redeemed 45,000 points through Choice Privileges to stay at a swanky hotel (with free breakfast) in Helsinki, Finland while attending the Kylie Minogue concert. (Choice Hotels has a big footprint in expensive Nordic countries, so using points there offers outsize value.)

Premium rental car perks

Finally, I’ve used my Venture X to rent cars with Hertz* for weeklong stays in Austin — and stacked some great perks in the process, like:

• Using the $300 annual travel credit for booking through Capital One Travel
• Earning 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Having peace of mind thanks to built-in rental car insurance
• Access to any car in the President’s Circle aisle, thanks to elite status from this card

Learn more in our full review of the Capital One Venture X.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply

Hilton Aspire

My favorite hotel cobranded credit card — and the final pick on my list — is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. While I also hold elite status with the program’s top competitors (Hyatt, IHG and Marriott), this card is the hotel card I get the most value from.

The information for the Hilton Amex Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Rewarding elite status

The Aspire’s complimentary Diamond status consistently gets me excellent complimentary breakfasts when traveling abroad (U.S. properties offer a less valuable food and beverage credit). Plus, I receive executive lounge access where available. At a recent stay at the Hilton Belfast, the happy hour snacks were enough to fill me up, saving me money on buying dinner.

I’ve also received thoughtful welcome gifts like port wine (at my current hotel), boxes of chocolates and fruit platters.

High-value free nights

You receive a free night award at almost any Hilton property worldwide each year you hold this card.

Last month, I used my free night award to stay at an abbey-turned-castle just outside Galway, Ireland — one of the most memorable redemptions I’ve made, saving me the $500+ cash price. A stone tower, ivy-covered walls and a roaring fireplace — all for zero dollars out of pocket.

Useful travel credits

This card has a high $550 annual fee — but it’s justifiable if you maximize its credits.

I use the quarterly flight credit to top up my United TravelBank Cash balance each quarter and then use this hack to combine my two biannual up to $200 Hilton resort statement credits into one stay each year.

Learn more in our full review of the Hilton Aspire.

Bottom line

Points and miles have taken me from hostel bunk beds and back-row middle seats to lie-flat luxury flights and five-star hotel stays I never thought I could afford.

I may juggle over 25 credit cards, but these four top travel credit cards consistently pull the most weight. They haven’t just changed how I travel — they’ve gifted me a life of freedom, flexibility and fun. And that’s the power of credit cards, points and miles.

With the right card strategy, travel stops being a cost — and feels more like a reward.

Related: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.